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Origin and history

The church Saint-Côme d'Aiguillon, located in the Lot-et-Garonne department, finds its origins in the twelfth century, when it was built for a priory dependent on the Benedictine Abbey of Clairac. This priory is mentioned in a letter from Pope Clement V in the fourteenth century. The building rises on a site occupied as early as the High Roman Empire, where an ancient path passed nearby. Excavations carried out in 1896, during the demolition of the porch and bell tower in the seventeenth century, revealed ancient architectural elements, including barrels of columns and a white marble capital of the High Middle Ages.

The choir of the church presents a unique trilobed plan, comparable to that of the prioral church of Sainte-Livre. It consists of a semicircular apse arched in cul-de-four, flanked by two false apses forming a forearm. The nave, extended in the 19th century, is covered with brick warhead vaults. A bell tower with two campanary bays was added in 1644, before being replaced in 1896 by the present bell tower-poach, during the lengthening of the nave. These transformations brought to light vestiges of the ancient and medieval occupation of the site.

Ranked a historical monument in 1925 (for its choir), Saint-Côme church illustrates the Romanesque architecture of Aquitaine, marked by the influence of Benedictine abbeys. Its strategic location, overlooking the Garonne and close to a Roman way, highlights its historical importance in the region. The carved capitals of the choir, decorated with volutes and stylized leaves, reflect a neat craftsmanship characteristic of the twelfth century. Subsequent changes, such as the addition of the bell tower in 1896, bear witness to its evolution over the centuries.

The ecclesial site rests on a terrace supported by a wall in opus vittatum, Roman technique, confirming its anchor in ancient times. Archaeological discoveries, such as marble columns, suggest a reuse of ancient materials during medieval construction. Associated with a priory in the 14th century, the church embodies the link between religious power and local heritage, from the Middle Ages to its inscription as historical monuments.

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